With that headline framing the issue, in a well-reported story on July 1, the Washington Observer drew attention to the challenges patients are facing due to low Medicaid payments. Be sure to read the full story, which features insights from WSMA specialist physician members.
On the heels of that story, the WSMA has learned that, after 50 years in business, Cascade Orthopaedics will be closing its doors at the end of July. The struggle of medical groups in our state is real, and our state legislators need to hear from you, frequently and regularly, until a solution is in place. Please continue to reach out to your local legislators and vocalize the need to increase Medicaid reimbursements for all physician specialties. Remind them that medical group closures do not just harm access to care for Medicaid patients, but all patients in the community. We have resources and data ready for your use at takeaction.wsma.org. If you have a presence on social media, we have ready-made content and artwork for your use to help support increasing Medicaid reimbursements. Download our June-July social media toolkit for Medicaid messaging and graphics.